Hello, everyone! Hope you are having a good evening/morning/day. I come bearing gifts from the vault. (I am in a really weird mood) Thank you for all your reviews. I love them. And I do apologize because the chapter is short and I thought it was going to be longer (as indicated in the author's note from last chapter) So, really sorry about that. I honestly thought it would be longer. But, hopefully it still pleases you. Here it is. Enjoy!


"You look HOT." House swiped his nose past her neck, getting a good whiff of her perfume.

Cuddy passed into her office. "Don't even try that on me."

"Date tonight?" House followed her through, noting her hair was done and the perfection of her make up.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Cuddy stepped around her desk and flashed him a large smile. House smirked and moved across her office.

"Actually, I would," he replied to her.

Cuddy kept up her smile as she sat down in her office chair. "That's none of your business."

"It is my business if you sleep with the guy," House paused a moment, "or girl."

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at House before snapping open a chart and looking it over. House seated himself across from her.

"It still counts even if she's female," he offered with a shrug.

"Not female." Cuddy glanced at House before she picked up the telephone receiver.

House eyed her up and his brow furrowed as he frowned. "Like you're not going to have sex with the guy."

"As a matter of fact, I'm not." Cuddy punched numbers into the phone, her eyes on House. "I still plan on winning this bet."


House rapped on the door again. She didn't answer the first time. He was nearly certain he had just won the bet. Before the victory smile could produce itself on his face, the front door flew open and Cuddy stood there, frazzled.

Cuddy was shooting daggers at him as she remained in the doorway to her home. House casually reached out to Cuddy and took her dark blue silk shirt in his hands.

Cuddy drew back slightly. "What are you-"

House shifted her shirt and then released it before shrugging. "Crooked shirt. You're disheveled. Did he jump you?"

"Making out isn't sex," Cuddy hissed at him now fixing the shirt herself and making sure it was in its proper position.

"It gets closer to sex when the shirt comes off." House leaned towards her.

"Go away," Cuddy commanded and tried to shut the door.

House quickly stopped the door with a firm hand. "No."

"House," she warned.

"This bet is mine," House gloated, still examining her to find the truth.

"No, it isn't." Cuddy shook her head, quickly becoming annoyed.

House gave an innocent shrug. "Then tell G.I. Joe to leave."

"G.I. Joe?" Cuddy repeated and let out a sigh.

"Crew cut," House replied.

Cuddy took a step closer to House and lowered her voice in her accusations. "Were you spying on me, House? Were you peeping in my windows?"

House frowned. "Well, that would be uncalled for."

"Goodnight." Cuddy moved to close the door again.

"Cuddy-" House attempted to protest.

"And I'm shutting the blinds," Cuddy added in, the door almost closed.

"If he doesn't leave, I'm claiming I won," House raised his voice in the hope it would get her to stop. It did.

Cuddy threw the door back, here burning eyes focused on House. "Because you have trust issues? Would you like to sit outside my bedroom and listen to make sure no sex happens?"

"I'd rather watch," House confessed, keeping the smirk off of his face.

Cuddy let out an aggravated sigh. "Damn it, House. This is driving me crazy."

"You can forfeit," he told her innocently.

"No way," she replied, staring him down.

"Lisa?"

Cuddy spun around quickly, revealing to both her and House the man standing just in the hallway. He ran a hand over his crew cut as he stepped toward the front door with his coat in hand. He appeared almost nervous to have interrupted.

"Oh, uh, I'll be-" Cuddy began, slightly flustered and upset that he might have overhead the conversation. House had a way of making her raise her voice when in discussion with him.

"No, listen, I'm gonna go," the man cut her off. He looked to House. "This guy seems pretty adamant against you being with me and I could have sworn I had seen before. Then, I realized it was at the restaurant."

Cuddy's mouth fell open and she swung around to face the doorway. "House!"

House held back a smirk and offered innocently, "I was hungry."

"This is just an irritant." Cuddy indicated House as she turned back to the man with the crew cut. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing." The man approached Cuddy. "Listen, I had a real nice night, but he kind scares me."

"He has a limp!" Cuddy exclaimed, indicating House's bum leg.

"Thanks," House said sarcastically to Cuddy.

"It was fun, but..." the man shrugged as he passed through the doorway, "goodnight."

Cuddy sadly watched him walk down her sidewalk. "Bye."

House watched the man walk away as well and then turned back to Cuddy. He raised his eyebrows and made a face. "Oops."

Cuddy glared at House. "You're ruining my life."

"You can always give up and call G.I. Joe back," House suggested.

Cuddy was still glaring. "Never."

"Well, my work here is done," House said brightly. "See you tomorrow."

House turned from her and began limping down the sidewalk. Cuddy set her jaw as she stared after him before drawing back into her home and slamming the door.